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A Level of Evolution
Prologue The sun gleamed as it peaked over the horizon. The beautiful light given off by the sun shined upon the Soul Society, but more specifically, the Seireitei. It seemed as if the Soul Society had been at a peaceful place. However, things could different without a doubt. There is a quote, that is as infamous as history "Things are not always what they appear to be." Time and time again, this quote has proven to be true. The biggest smile can hide the deepest frown. The joyful noise of the people conversing within the Seireitei, made it appear as if there were no problem. Again, the day seemed normal. Just as if there was no problem in the world, furthermore as if there was never a problem to begin with. With the full fledged protection of the Gotei 13, I wouldn't see why they would have to worry. Within the barracks of the Gotei 13's Fourth Division, there was chatter amongst the group. As the words flowed through the air, there were two specific souls that sat in awe, as if there was nothing going on. They sat in their room alone, away from anyone else. There was an adolescent, accompanied by a young child. The boy, had silver glossing hair. If it were to be a paint, his hair could fit into the category. Much like the average shinigami, he wore an all black kimono. Around his neck was a thick scarf that extended at the back portion barely covering the clan crest that sat on his back. Around his waist within his belt sat two nodachi. The crest was indeed that of the Kawahiru Clan, and with his appearance it was clear he was none other than, Shingi Kawahiru. The young girl sitting on his back was without a doubt Izayoi Kawahiru. Her two long ponytails down her side, and yellow jacket confirmed it all. "Siggy! Captain Riri said we needed to meet her in the barracks training area." Izayoi was the type to nickname everyone she came by. She called Shingi, "Siggy" and she called Captain Rikuri, "Riri". Reaching over his head Shingi grabbed ahold of Izayoi. Bring her down to his lap, he looked her in the eye. "Izayoi, I'm aware of that... We should be on our way now." Shingi began to stand to his feet, and Izayoi began to climb onto his back, then sitting on his shoulders. "Let's go, Siggy!" As Shingi passed through the hallway area, many people greeted him. Lifting his hand giving off the waving gesture, Shingi kept along the way. However, deep within his thoughts, his stream flowed. "I wonder where lieutenant Fuyutama is..." Shingi began to get closer to the area where he was supposed to meet Rikuri. As he did, Izayoi spoke out. "Siggy, do you know what Captain Riri wants?" Shingi sighed, he looked over his shoulder before quickly shifting back forwards. As he reached for the the knob of the door, he responded. "Even I don't know, but... We will be finding out." He stated fully opening the door to the area. The secret training grounds of the Fourth Division were not particularly unique; the usual rocky terrain accompanied by several large boulders. However, the concept of the Fourth possessing a specific training regime in itself was an entirely new idea proposed by captain Rikuri Ukitake herself, after experiencing first had what other shinigami had to say of her squad members. The division had changed greatly in the last decade; while in the past, most healers were incapable of holding their own through the course of a fight, the newly developed Fourth Division had superb fighting capabilities, a prime example of which was the prodigy Ichimaru Fuyutama. He was, by all means, the pinnacle of perfection --at least in Rikuri's eyes-- to what a shinigami belonging to the Fourth should be able to do. While it may have seemed like much, expectations were expectations, and Rikuri did her best to influence newly appointed squad members. As Shingi and Izayoi made their entry into the battle grounds, Rikuri was standing in the middle, her white captain's haori flowing behind her. On most occasions, Rikuri appeared as a thoughtful entity, one that nurtured the young and pleased the elderly. However, she was known, only by her most devoted disciples, to have a dark side. She was strict, especially with those whom she saw potential in. Shingi arriving late was unforgivable, and she would see to his punishment. However, while she would have been angry with her subordinate, the presence of another --particularly Izayoi-- helped to ease her stress, instead, summoning the Rikuri who the soul society was so well acquainted with. "Shingi, your late!" She scolded, pouting her lips and raising both eyebrows. Taking a quick step back Shingi hesitated. He probably knew better than anyone within the Fourth Division, that being late was unacceptable. However, it was Shingi's style. He liked to arrive to everything late, with most of his time being spent making a decision of going or not. This was probably due to the fact that his division were relied on for healing. An ability Shingi had little to no knowledge on. So any event including such topic didn't peak his interest. He looked into the eyes of Rikuri, and stated. "Sorry Ma' ! Was thinking yet again!" Shingi chuckled, hoping that luck would be on his side. Ruffling on his shoulders, jumping onto the ground was Izayoi. She was as cheerful as ever, which seemed to be the case every time she saw Rikuri. "Riri-mother!" She shouted running up towards her. Rikuri greeted the incoming Izayoi with the same level of intensity; squatting down to her knees, she comically fastened her arms around the younger female, swallowing her into a tight bear hug. Thereafter, she regained her posture; folding her arms beneath her enormous breasts, she turned around, revealing the insignia of the Fourth Division on the backside of her captain's haori. She began to walk forth, gesturing for the two to follow. "Come, Shingi. We're already late as it is. It is time for you to ascend past the boundaries of a lowly shinigami... yes... it is time for you to become one with your Zanpakutō." Lifting his eyebrow, Shingi followed behind Rikuri. He wasn't completely sure about what she meant "past the boundaries of a lowly Shinigami." Thinking of the only other possible outcome, Shingi asks. "Are you referring to Bankai?" Izayoi was surprised, she placed her finger on her lip as she began to think. "Bankai? I thought only captain and lieutenants could achieve it. I heard that it was also rare! I know Siggy is strong, but how can he achieve such a level while only a third seat captain?" Rikuri continued onward, her hair and haori flowing behind her gently. "There is no such requirement," she began; her voice was nurturing, not as though she were scolding someone for their mistakes. "While it is true that all captain class soul reaper must have achieved a degree of mastery over their bankai --with the exception of Kenpachi-taicho, of course-- it is not limited to higher tier warriors in any which way." She stopped suddenly; closing her eyes, she looked up into the sky. "Do not misinterpret what I am saying here. For one to garner a Bankai at all in itself is a feat deemed celebratory. It is by no means a fluke. Only the most powerful of soul reapers will ever be capable of utilizing such tremendous power." She turned around, looking at her two subordinates. There was an intense expression drawn across her face --something quite rare to see upon Rikuri. "It is said that even among the four noble families, a member capable of Bankai appears once every few generations." Her gaze fell upon Shingi exclusively, a look that brought upon a heavy dose of nostalgia, almost as if history were repeating itself. The same words she had once stated to Ichimaru came streaming through her soft pink lips once more. "I believe you have that potential." Without so much as another word, Rikuri faced forward once more, and began walking again. Assuming the two others had followed, they would come upon what appeared to be an ordinary boulder, almost an exact replica of all the others. However, this one was particularly special, containing a secret entrance to the Fourth Division's extraordinarily secretive training facility. Previously, only the eyes of Rikuri and Ichimaru had ever been exposed to such a heaven, though joining them on the list of those select few members were now Shingi and Izayoi. However, unfortunately, only Shingi would be able to continue onward with Rikuri. Rikuri, without turning around, gestured for Izayoi to step down. As a member of the Fourth Division, Izayoi should have realized the true essence of the gesture without difficulty; it was obvious that she was not deemed worthy enough to enter such a historical monument. Without offering any formal explanations, Rikuri entered the facility, a bright aura emitting from the doorway as she did. Upon coming into the room, Shingi would be exposed to.. absolutely nothing. The area itself was comprised of a blank canvas, pure white in color. There was nothing around to take note of, not even a single piece of furniture. "I'll be right here Siggy! Do you best." Izayoi shouted out to Shingi, as he followed behind Rikuri. Waving off slowly to Izayoi, Shingi began to clout up. Why he was oh so arrogant, and in his past known not to talk much, Shingi had a soft side for Izayoi. She kept him calm, and she was the key to being free for him. She ran up and to him, leaping into the air kissing him on the cheek before running back. "With all the boulders here, I can be training right alongside you." Finally passing through the designated location, Shingi found himself in nothing. The blank canvas gave off a feeling he knew quite well, but wasn't fond of. Even though he was older, he was still young. He remember the dark cold nights, which seemed blank of reasoning, where he and his sister sat hoping to survive the next day. Or hell, maybe even just that night. He couldn't neccesarily see, but his ability to sense body heat allowed him to pinpoint about where Rikuri was. "Honestly Ma, I mean captain Ukitake, Bankai isn't exactly my goal as much as it was once before. After training with Seireitou-sama, I feel that if I achieve Bankai, opponents won't be able to put up much of a fight anymore. Although, I would like to continue this training, for better or for worse. So, how will we start?" Legendary Training Easily Defeated Spirits? Rikuri walked without a designated location in mind, stopping some few feet ahead. Thereafter, she pulled Hanamaru from its scabbard; lifting the long katana high above her head, she gently lowered herself, taking a seat upon the blank canvas itself. "Come." She stated, inviting Shingi to take a seat beside her. She laid Hanamaru on its side, resting the Zanpakutō on her own lap, before gently sealing her eyes shut. "There is nothing more I can offer you at this point. Only your Zanpakutō is capable of such a feat, though I may yet still be able to monitor your movements and ensure your safety." She spoke, her eyes still closed. "What I am doing now is heralded as Jinzen (刃禅), a sacred ritual performed by the shinigami for over a thousand years. You must first confront your Zanpakutō; meet with the spirit and learn from it. If you are worthy enough, then perhaps you may find what it is you are so desperately searching for." Shingi walked near Rikuri, he took another quick look around to make sure what he was seeing was correct. Joining Rikuri as she sat down, he took a deep breath. Releasing his Zanpakutō from its released state, he laid it across his lap. Shingi wasn't the type to unseal his Zanpakutō, so seeing it was certainly something rare. It could only be the result of a him facing a very formidable foe. Allowing his mind to be lifted of whatever baggage he once had, he calmed himself as he sighed again. He began to think, "Is Bankai something I really want to achieve?" He lost his focus, and quickly he opened his eyes. Clinching his fist tightly, Shingi looked over to the stern Rikuri. It seemed that even if a earthquake had occurred, she wouldn't budge. Shingi closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. His focus now much greater than before, everything seemed to have been working perfectly fine. Within moments, Shingi found himself on a brand new plane. It's was a Rocky Mountain type area, filled with large rocks and small rocks. Big boulders, with a few small boulders. As he looked in the distance, he could see buildings far back, but was unsure of what really was going on. "So... You've finally appeared..." The faint voice of an unknown entity spoke out to Shingi. Causing him to stand to his feet attempting to find his the speaker. "Always quick to jump I see.. But you're in our world now." Another voice states, sounding much like the one before, but Shingi knew this wasn't the case. "Show yourselves!" Shingi gave it literally no time before he gripped the hilts of his blades. "Very well then!" Thrusting forward, Shingi took off directly ahead on himself, as he did kicked dust up into the sky. Holding his Shikai down to his side, Shingi smashing everything that was on the left and right side of him. He then came to a sudden halt, and as he looked upwards, he met the face of two identical entities. "Charging in blindly, knowing the enemy wouldn't show themselves, but you took the chances of them possibly showing up. Reverse psychology." The left man states, placing his hand on the right side man's shoulder, and he spoke. '"Even on the inside, he's still the same."'' The two had the baring resemblance of two young men around their earlier twenties. Shingi chuckled, resting his shoulder's removing a lot of stress he planted his left foot back. "So it seems you've now come to try and learn more abilities from us, so that later you can achieve bankai." The left man separated himself from the right man. Both of the men now wielding Shingi's Zanpakutō. "As your Zanpakutō, Ryōtenihana, you will have to defeat us." Both of the men drifting to their outer sides, then rushed forward coming at both Shingi's left and right sides. As they reached Shingi, both of their blades clashed up against only one of Shingi's. Letting out loud grunts, Shingi did what he could to force the two men back. Shingi, with a single , was able to vanish from the collision now standing a set distance between the two. Running towards the left man, Shingi held his right hand's sword back, thrusting his left handed sword towards his chest. Just before making contact, Shingi found himself smashing up against the blades of his other Zanpakutō spirit. "We know all of your movements, Shingi Kawahiru. Meaning we can counter all of your movements with relative ease. Even your battle style..." Shingi began to chuckle again, however this time he caused his Zanpakutō spirit - who will be referee to as spirit one, and the other spirit two - to lift an eyebrow. He then spoke, "You should know, I'm tired of your constant laughter." "Then you should know that the two of you attacking me separately is futile, correct?" Shingi used his brute strength to push forward on his clashing blade, sending spirit one hurling to the ground. "Now then.." Shingi stated turning his focus towards the second spirit. "I guess you're next." With raw speed, Shingi vanished from sight appearing at the face of his second spirit. Shingi placed his two blades together, pointing both of their tips at the spirit, allowing lightning to travel from the tips into the spirit directly. Then kicking him downwards to the same location as the other one. "I see, you two are consistent. You almost remind me of pests." As he looked down, the two men stood tall. Their bodies completely unfazed, as if they were never touched to begin with. "I guess it's time we take him out already!" Spirit 1 stated, as both he and spirit 2 planted their feet firmly into the ground. "Their spiritual pressure, it's forming around them." Shingu muttered, watching as the two went to work. "We didn't collect enough electrons, so we'll just use out reiatsu as an equal substitute." After spirit 2 gave out his statement, their bodies became engulfed in a layer of lightning. "We'll finish this with one blow!" The twin spirits held their blades outwards, the lightning covering their bodies cracked and sparked. "I didn't think they would be able to wear lightning as an armor." Shingi mumbled again. "What's the name of this armor?" Shingi stated now speaking out loud. Awaiting an answer, he swung his blades a few times in the air. "What does it matter to you? I just told you, we are going to kill you!" Shingi continued to swing his sword, "Hm... Can you really kill me? If I die, don't you die as well?" At the exact end of his sentence, Shingi was attacked by both on each side. This time, he couldn't put up much of a fight when utilizing his sword block them. Pushing forward, they knocked him into the ground, where the ground caved in. The dirt kicked up, completely covering Shingi from eyes view. The two spirits' Zanpakutō began to glow. Around the blades, lightning began to roar. Both men pulled their blades back, both synchronizing with the each other. The light around the blades began to glow brighter, now turning into lightning. "Sengetsu Ikazuchi!" They both shouted, releasing a large crescent of lightning off the blades aimed directly for Shingi's location. After releasing the lightning, both spirits became exhausted. Panting loudly, as the light around their bodies completely vanished. Breathing heavenly, they both watched as the crescent collided with the ground, ripping into the earth, creating a line. As the four crescents continued to travel, they took down numerous buildings a great distance away before exploding. "You're a thousand years too early to achieve bankai. Begone-" There in both of their sights, was Shingi. "You know something.. In battle, you two talk to much." Shingi however was nothing like before he had taken great damage. His body was covered in the exact same lightning armor as his Zanpakutō spirits were. With his blades already pulled back, Shingi called out. "Sengetsu Ikazuchi." Identical to what his Zanpakutō had displayed, Shingi launched a lightning crescent to the gut of his spirits sending them hurling into a mountain, causing the mountain to collapse upon collision. "How in the hell was he able to learn that technique so quickly?!" Shingi stood on the air of the as if it were a surface of its own. Shingi's left arm seemed to have taken a big of damage, as blood leaked from it and his sleeve was a tad bit torn. However, unlike his spirits, when he released the technique, his lightning armor still surrounded his body. "How did I utilize the technique so quickly, because to be honest I hvent fully learned it yet. Had I did, lest just say the outcomes would have been different." Shingi took a slight breath as he continued to speak. "I first took note of how you two were able to cover yourselves in lightning. While I was lying on the ground, I concluded you guys turned your reiatsu into lightning, where you wore it as an armor. Much like I do with my regular reiatsu, but because the Reiatsu was lightning, it changed into a lightning-like armor." Shingi sighed, and as for the attack, you remember when you said We didn't collect enough electrons, so we'll just use our reiatsu as an equal substitute.? That line alone, I drafted that you already needed lightning to be within the Zanpakutō already. However, because of our few trades of blows, and your limited swinging, you were forced to use your reiatsu instead. Using your reiatsu like that greatly weakened you, by the way. All of these were just hypothesis but they way you were talking, which again you talk too much, it could possibly be a fact. While I was on the ground, after that instant attack, I watched how you released the technique. You ever notice how you can actually use Getsuga Tenshō?" The spirits were both left for words, when the second had to ask out. "How exactly were you able to evade the attack, we know we hit you!" "You're wrong." Both spirits gasped, awaiting for his next words. "You don't know you hit me at all. The dust blocked me from your view. Additionally, how else do you think I got this wound on my arm? Thanks to the lightning armor I was fast enough to almost evade the attack. But my arm flailed behind me, so I had to cut myself, which still wasn't enough. So I actually took quite the damage." "What about being able to fire off the Sengetud Ikazuchi?!" This was probably the most valuable question the two asked the entire time. "Remember earlier when I was swinging my blade freely in the air? I had gotten tons of electrons. Guess I did leave out that part. Which is probably why my armor is still activated." Shingi smirked, but the spirits were just as confused. "What?!" The spirit yelled it. "Yeah, it's clear that in order for you to fire Sengetsu Ikazuchi without enough stored lightning, you used the lightning from your armors instead. Which verifies why you aren't covered in it. You guys have been defeated, I'm going to return back now." Shingi began to regain his central focus. "This isn't close to over if you plan on achieving Bankai, Shingi Kawahiru!" In the outside world, Shingi's eyes opened and his body was filled in the lightning armor. He called over to Rikuri, after full evaluating himself. "Captain Ukitake, I think I have finished."